Apparatus for making wheel-hubs from tubular blanks



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. AJ.LI.. WARVMAN ze' e. WINTER.; e APPARATUS FORMAKING WHEEL HUBS FROM 'IUBU'LAR'B'LAISTKS.l No. 567,828'. Patented Sept. 85.1896.

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Y i J. I.. WARMAN;& G'.WI1\ITER.

APPARATUS POR MAKING' WHEEL HUBS FROMTUBULAR BLANKS` 1\T0`.5"7,328.

Patented Sept. 8,1896..

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, APPARATUS FOR MAKINGWHBBL HUB-S BOMVTUBULAR BLANKS. l Y No.*567,328. l Patented Sept. 8 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Y Fries.

JOHN I. WARMAN AND CARL WINTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING WHEEL-HUBS FROM TUBULAR BLANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,328, dated September 8, 1896. Application filed September 12, 1895. Serial No. 562,240. (No model.)

ticles from tubular metal blanks, and relates more particularly to a method of and means for expanding such blanks to a desired conformation by means of suitable tools applied to the interior thereof.

The obj ect of the invention is to provide an extremely simple and improved construction in apparatus of the character referred to; and the invention consist-s in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is herein described as used 'in the production of a bicycle-hub of improved construction.

As heretofore commonly constructed bicycle-hubshave either been drop-forged or, under more recent practice, turned out from a solid block of steel. `Obviously either of these methods of construction necessitates a very considerable amount of work in the production of the finished hub, and because of the liability of making the hub unduly weak in some one place it has been necessary and it has been the common practice to make the hub of considerably greater weight than would be necessary to insure the proper strength were it certain that no flaws or Weakened places existed in the structure.'

By our improved apparatus the hub is made from a piece of metal tubing, preferably drawn steel, which by proper manipulations is caused to assume the required conformation and a hub thereby produced of a determined and substantially uniform thickness and of a known degree of strength. At the Sametime a large amount of time and labor is saved and the work of an ordinary attendant substituted for the relatively expensive In practicing our invention, in the pre-v ferred manner, to produce a bicycle-hub, the steps are substantially as follows: A section `of steel tubing of proper length is Vsupported in a suitable manner so as to rotate about a longitudinal axis and a suitable tool is inserted within the blank and brought into forcible rolling contact with the interior of the latter as it rotates, the pressure of the tool being exerted in a radially-outward direction. The exterior of the tubing being supported against such outward pressure adjacent to but not opposite the' point of contact of the tool with the interior of the tubing, the result is that as the blank is rotated an annular groove or expansion will be produced in the interior of the blank and a corresponding annular rib, bead, or flange upon the exterior thereof, this expanded portion being gradually enlarged or forced outward until the desired size has been reached.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,'in whichl lFigure 1 is a front elevation of a machine for carrying out our invention, the lower parts of the leg-standards being broken away to reduce the size of the ligure. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the machine. vertical-section takenbn line t 4. of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, showing a blank in axial section in position between the forming-rollers. Fig.V 6 is a bottom plan View of the presser-bar, showing 4more particularly the arrangement of the adjustable guides. Fig. 7 is a view in central transverse vertical section of the upper part of a modification of the machine shown in Figs. lto 6. a detail of a modified ,formof expandingroller. Fig. 9 is a detail'of the tubular blank in axial section, showing its form after having been expanded. Fig. l0 is a View ofthe same blank in its final form.

As shown in said drawings, A designates,

Fig. y4. is a'transverse rig. eis.

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as a whole, a suitable table or supportingframe, provided at one end and near its central portion with parallel vertical supportingstandards A' A2, respectively. Each of said standards is provided in its upper end with a vertical guide-slot ct, within which are mounted two journal-blocks B B', adapted to slide vertically within the slot a. The lower pair of said journal-blocks B B are adapted to rest directly against the lower end of the slots d and support within their bearing-apertures the ends of a shaft C, extending transversely between the standards A' A2. One end of said shaft C is provided with a gear-wheel C', keyed thereon exterior to the standard A2, which gear-wheel intermeshes with and is driven by a pinion D, mounted upon a shaft D', suitably supported in a bearing d, carried by the lower part of the supporting-standard A2, and a pillow-block D2, mounted and rising from the table A. The shaft D is provided with the usual fast and loose pulleys D3 D4, through which power is communicated by means of a belt to the shaft from any suitablevcounter-shaft or other source.

E designates a supporting-roller mounted rigidly upon the shaft C between the framestandards, said supporting-roller being of general cylindric form and provided with two annular semicircular grooves e c near its respective ends.

F designates an expanding-roller revolubly mounted at its ends within the journal-blocks B' B', so as to extend above and parallel with the roller E. The smaller upper roller F is also made of cylindric form and is provided with circumferential beads arranged to register and t within the grooves e e of the supporting-roller E when the bearings B B, carrying said roller F, are depressed to bring the latter into contact with the lower roller E. The beads ff are formed on a smaller radius than that of the grooves e e, so as to provide a space equal to the thickness of the wall of the blank between said interfltting parts when the latter are brought nearly together.

The expanding-roller F is driven from and uniformly with the supporting-roller E by means of intermeshing pinions F' and C2, provided with relatively long teeth f' c', which permit the distance between the rollers to be changed a considerable extent-without separating the pinions arranged upon the end of the expanding-roller F and the end of the shaft C, respectively, exteriorly to the standard-frame A'. The expanding-roller F is made removable from its bearings by simply withdrawing it endwise therefrom in order to permit the placing of a blank thereon, being to this end provided with a handle F2, and being held in operative position by means of a gravity-bolt G, arranged to slide vertically within the upper portion of the standard A' and adapted to rest at its lower end in engagement with an annular groove f2, formed in thev journal of the roller F, the upper end of said gravity-bolt being provided with a suitable knob by means of which it being held in position by means of rectangular-shaped lugs 72, secured thereon, which engage corresponding recesses h', formed in the y proximate surfaces of the bearing-blocks B.

In order to depress the bearing-blocks Bl B' and thus bring the expanding-roller F into forcible contact with the interior of the wall of the blank interposed between said rollers, a horizontally-disposed presser bar or plate I is arranged to extend between the standards with its ends within the upper parts of the vertical slots d andA resting upon the upper surface of the bearing-blocks B' B'.

J designates a feed-screw threaded vertically witliin a cap-plate K, rigidly secured to the upper ends of the standards A' A2, and arranged to impinge at its lower end upon the upper side of the presser-bar I, so as to depress the said bearing-blocks B' B against the action of the springs H H. The upper end of the feed-screw J is provided with the usual hand-wheel J' and handle J2.

In order to prevent the tubular blank from endwise movement upon the expanding-roller F during the forming operation, roller-guides L L are secured to and depend vertically from the under side of the bar I in position to engage the respective ends of said blank. Said roller guides are made adjustable lengthwise of the bar by means of slots l Z, formed in their base portions Z', through which the attaching-screws Z2, by means of which said guides are secured to the part I, extend.

The operation of the device constructed as above described is as follows: The gravitybolt G being lifted to release the expandingroller F, the latter is withdrawn farenough to insert a tubular blank X between the guidesupports L L and in position for the expanding-roller to be inserted therethrough. The expanding-roller is then replaced and locked in operative position,the machine started,and the feed-screw turned on, so as to force the expanding-roller F toward the supportingroller E and the bead portions thereof into forcible contact with the interior of the tube section interposed between the rollers. The frictional contact of the tube between the rollers rotates theblank and forms annular grooves opposite the beads, the outer surface of the tube gradually assuming a corresponding expanded or beaded form, as shown in Fig. l1. As the tube is expanded the feedscrew is gradually turned down to keep the expanding-roller in operative Contact therewith until the bead :1; has been forced outwardly the full depth of the annular groove c or until the blank has been sufficiently expanded, whereupon the machine is stopped,

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the expanding roller withdrawn, and the blankremoved. It may be noted at this point that the rollers are driven at a relatively slow rate of speed and that the action of the same upon the metal is a rolling and drawing action, as distinguished from a spinning action.

The blank when'removed from the machine will have assumed the shape shown in Fig; 9, and in order to complete the formation of the spoke-flanges it is necessary to compress the opposite sides of the bead together to cause it to assume the form of a flat double-thick iiange, as shown in Fig. l0. This shaping of the flanges may be performed by means of any suitable dies in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a modification of the machine illustrated vin Figs. l to 6, in which an auxiliary idle-roller support Q is mounted parallel with and adjacent to the roller-support E and expanding-roller F, and at one side thereof. The supporting-roller Q is so arranged that when the machine is in operation the periphery of the saine will rotate in contact with the lower supportingroller E andwith the exterior of the blank, said auxiliary roller being provided with annular grooves similar to and arranged to register with those of the roller E. The purpose of the roller Q is to maintain the blank in accurate parallelism with the expandingroller F and supporting-roller E during the expanding operation.

In Fig. S we have shown a modification in which the expanding-rollers are made in the form of rings or collars F,adjustably mounted upon a shaft F2, and secured in position by means of suitable screws f. It will of course be understood that when the longitudinal distance between the expanding-rollers is changed a supporting-roller E having its grooves e c arranged at corresponding distances apart will be used in lieu of the one shown.

We claim as our inventionl. A machine for making wheel-hubs from tubular blanks, comprising a supportingframe provided with parallel vertical standards, each provided with a vertical guideslot, upper and lower journal-blocksv arranged within each of the guide-slots, an expandingroller mounted to extend between said standards, having its ends engaged with the upper pair of said journal-blocks and so constructed as to slide freely endwise from its bearings, a key arranged to hold the expanding-roller from endwise movement, a supporting-roller mounted to extend parallel with the said expanding-roller and having its ends engaged with the lower pair of journal-blocka'an annular depression formed in said roller-support at a point opposite the acting part of the Y periphery of the expanding-roller, afeedscrew arranged to act upon said upper pair of journal-blocks to depress the latter, and means for rotating the expanding-roller upon its longitudinal axis, substantially as described. j l v 2. A machine for making wheel-hubs from tubular blanks, comprising a supportingframe having parallel supporting-standards, each provided with a vertical guide-slot, upper and lower journal-blocks arranged within each of said guide-slots, an expanding-roller mounted to extend between said standards, having its ends engaged with the upper pair of said journal-blocks and arranged to slide endwise from its bearings, an annular groove in said roller, a keyway in the upper journal arranged to extend transversely of the roller and to intersect the annular groove thereof; a key adapted to fit said keyway and engage the groove of the roller, a supporting-roller arranged to extend parallel with said expanding-roller and having its ends Vengaged with the lower pair of journal-blocks, said supporting-roller being provided with a circumferential depression arranged opposite the standards, having its ends engaged with the l upper pair of said journal-bearings, provided with annularexpanding-ribs and made accurately cylindric throughout its main length at each side of the ribs, and arranged to slide endwise from its bearings, anannular groove in said roller, a keyway in the upper journal arranged to extend transversely of the roller and'to intersect the annular groove thereof; a key adapted to iit said keyway andengage the groove of the roller, a supporting-roller mounted to extend parallel withsaid expand- Ving-roller shaft and having its ends engaged with the lower j ournal-bearings, said supporting-roller being provided with circumferential depressions arranged opposite 'the peri pheries of the said expanding-rollers, a feedscrew arranged to force the expanding and supporting rollers together, springs acting in opposition to said feed-screw, guidesarranged to hold the blank from longitudinal movement, intermeshing pinions connecting said expanding and supporting rollers, and means IOO IIO

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for rotating the latter, substantially as described. p

4. A machine for making wheel-hubs from tubular blanks, comprisingy a supportingframe provided with parallel vertical standards, each provided with avertical guide-slot,

upper and lower journal-blocks arranged within each of said guide-slots, a shaft mounted to extend between said standards having its ends engaged with the upper pair of said j ournal-blooks, provided with expanding-rollers adjustably mounted oonoentrically upon said shaft and constructed to slide endWise freely from its bearings, a key arranged to hold said shaft from endwise movement, a supporting-roller mounted to extend parallel with said shaft and having its ends engaged With the lower pair of journal-blocks, said supporting-roller bein g provided with circumferential depressions arranged opposite the peripheries of the said expanding-rollers, an auxiliary supporting-roller revolubly mounted adjacent to and parallel With said shaft and main supporting-roller, a feed-screw aryJOHN I. VARMAN.

CARL VINTER.

Vitnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, ALBERT H. GRAVES. 

